Situated at the entrance to the Vallée des Belleville, at an altitude of 1,450 m (~4,757 ft), Saint-Martin de Belleville once served as a bastion of traditional rural values. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the Bellevillois, determined to conserve their heritage, consented to share it with others. They thus decided to add, little by little, ski resorts for visitors. The new accommodation area, baptised “Les Grangeraies”, was integrated into the village without affecting its natural beauty. The architecture, created from stone and wood, has remained faithful to the area's traditonal look. All the village needed now was a piste (ski run) and ski lift system linking it to the 3 Vallées, which was initiated in 1982.

Created in the middle of the sixties, Les Menuires ski resort is a perfect example of the short history of forty years of “mountain” architecture development. While it boasts modern architecture, the resort also stays true to a genuine traditional style.

Today, Saint Martin and Les Menuires, headed by the town council and its mayor André Plaisance, continue this mission for high-quality development, assuring the Vallée des Belleville’s position as the first tourist destination in the world for winter sports.